It's going to end well for the Warriors, at least in terms of the regular season. They play 16 of their final 22 games at home, including a seven-game, soul-reviving homestand March 4-15. From that point until the finish of the season April 17, they have exactly two road games that appear difficult: at Houston and San Antonio in the third week of March.

Whatever ails the Warriors in the second half - and who knows, they could be hovering around that eighth and final playoff spot by the conclusion of this month - that ongoing Oracle feast will make things right.

As for the playoffs themselves, no great optimism here. Too much was revealed during the five-game losing streak that wrapped up the first half. Fatigue may have been a factor, but more to the point: The Warriors are not a good defensive team, and don't be fooled into believing that they are.

They did a pretty good impersonation for weeks at a time, and that's a credit to coach Mark Jacksonand the players' determination. Defense is built on hustle and desire, but only partly so; skill is the most vital component. If the Warriors are going to finish games with Stephen Curry, Klay Thompsonand David Leeon the floor, that's three players who may care about defense deeply, but fall terribly short of the league's lofty standard. (There isn't a backcourt in the league that doesn't see "Golden State" as a precious gift on the calendar.)

As far as Andrew Bogut's prospects in the second half, the crisis calls up an old Charlie Finleyline (certainly not his invention): "Big hat, no cattle." Bogut is a man of immense physical gifts, but why would anyone believe he'll be at full capacity at any point this season? He's either not playing at all, or losing steam by the fourth quarter.

At least Bogut is seeing things clearly. He basically called out the entire team after Tuesday night's home loss to Houston, saying the Warriors' quickness and weak-side help were severely lacking on defense. Come playoff time, when every opponent poses a massive threat, that's a weakness that cannot be disguised.

Slowtime

No, I don't count the Lakers (at the Staples Center on April 12) as a road game that appears difficult. The Lakers are pathetic. They're old, they're injured, they have no palpable leadership, they don't much care for each other, and they've lost L.A. to the Clippers ... At first glance, the Warriors' new sleeved uniforms aren't all that offensive. The pinstriped shorts (who came up with that?) can easily be replaced. Then again, they were modeled by Harrison Barnes, a man who would look good wearing oil-soaked rags from an abandoned warehouse. "I'd love to see Oliver Miller(the rotund big man of yore) in one of those," cracked Tom Tolbert on KNBR, and that goes for (A) any player who would rather not take the court in a tight-fitting jersey or (B) any great shooter who wants no part of sleeves. "This wouldn't have worked for me," said Dennis Scott, one of the all-time marksmen, on NBA TV. "I want to hear what Curry and Thompson say about 'em" after a test in actual games ... No wrestling in the Olympics? Sounds a bit like the banishment of the Cal baseball program. Something that will eventually be overturned, on the basis of common sense. How can you ditch a sport that made its first appearance at the ancient Olympic Games in 708 B.C.? Don't rule out a shady deal or two, either. That's undoubtedly at the root of this mess. But any group as corrupt as the International Olympic Committee can just as easily be swayed another 180 degrees.

If Hideki Okajimagets a place in the A's bullpen, it will definitely be "a very big deal," as pitching coach Curt Youngsaid. Okajima might still be the man who had three superb years in the Boston pressure cooker (2007-09) and has given up just 221 hits in 246 1/3 major-league innings ... It's not the loyalty Seattle has shown Felix Hernandezwith his new contract, or the huge morale boost it gives the team. It's the latest example of seven-year idiocy. The Mariners already had him locked up through 2014, and he's a pitcher. Seven years virtually guarantees bitter feelings down the line and an unnecessary burden to the salary structure ... Would love to see Brian Wilson's reaction if the Tigers pass on him (that appears to be the case) and hand their closer's job to a kid who has never pitched in the big leagues: Bruce Rondon, a right-hander who throws 100 mph ... Advice for any fans planning their first trip to spring training: Go out of your way to secure lodging in Scottsdale. Aside from the Giants' park (best in the Cactus League), it's a lively town full of character and great restaurants, and most other Arizona outposts are the Mojave Desert by comparison.